Month: April 2020

Yet another festival has fallen victim to coronavirus postponement syndrome as Rolling Loud announces new dates for its Miami iteration in February of 2021. Miami has a special place in the hearts of the festival’s organizers, as it was the location of the original Rolling Loud festival and many of the festival’s go-to artists call the city home. The May 8-10 dates originally scheduled for this year’s fest have become unfeasible due to COVID-19 coronavirus precautions, so the new dates are February 12-14, 2021 — Presidents’ Day Weekend.

Read the statement from Rolling Loud below:

Since our last update, we have been monitoring the spread of COVID-19, hopeful that it would slow and allow us to proceed with producing the festival in May. At the same time, we were working around the clock on a contingency plan in case we had to postpone. It was important for us to not make the decision too soon, without having all of the facts. We wanted nothing more than to turn up with you all at the 6th year of our sold out show. However, as the spread of COVID-19 has increased to tragic levels, it became clear that we could not proceed with the May 8-10 dates.

To make sure that fans get the same experience that they signed up for in May, we’ve worked extremely hard with all of the artists, vendors, city and county officials, and the venue to make that happen. Accordingly, Rolling Loud Miami 2020 will be postponed to President’s Day Weekend (3 days), February 12-14, 2021 at Hard Rock Stadium.

Same lineup. Same rage. Ain’t nothin’ changed but the dates.

All purchased tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates. If you need a refund, don’t worry, we got you. Purchasers will be notified via email by April 8th on how to obtain a refund. We’ve also extended the Layaway Plan GRACE PERIOD to August 1st for those fans who missed a payment and still want to be able to attend in February. We love you all and want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to get lit with us next year.

We’ll get through this together. Stay safe and we look forward to seeing you all soon! If we all do our part to help suppress the virus, we’ll be moshing together again in no time.

Follow Uproxx’s coronavirus coverage here.

Atlantic rap duo Earthgang made their full-length debut on J. Cole’s Dreamville label last year, but the group is looking to have their 2020 be just as prolific. The group shared an intricate animation for the video accompanying the track “Lala Challenge.”

Animated by McKay Felt, the visual takes fans on a journey through the fictional Mirrorland. The animation opens with the members of Earthgang positioned as the masterminds behind a giant, ominously floating head being observed by a group of mind-numbed teens. The animation stands as a commentary on our reliance on technology. As the world morphs and melts around them, the characters in the animation stay locked to an illuminated screen. But Earthgang comes to the rescue and provides solace to the fictional city, filling the desolated area with plants greenery.

Upon sharing the animation to social media, the group quipped about how they are all stuck at home in quarantine: “LOOK AT US SITTING IN OUR HOMES BEING BEAUTIFUL,” they wrote.

The “Lala Challenge” video arrives as the second visual released by the group this year. Back in January, Earthgang debuted a harrowing visual to the track “Swivel.”

Revisit Uproxx’s review of Mirrorland here.

Mirrorland is out now via Dreamville/Interscope. Get it here.

It started with a harmless idea from legendary FOX Sports broadcaster Joe Buck: To entertain sports fans by doing play-by-play calls of their home videos during the United States’ mitigation efforts against the coronavirus outbreak. It turned nasty, in something anyone that frequents the internet could’ve seen coming, as fans sent all sorts of videos to Buck hoping he would commentate on.

Sex tapes began to appear in Buck’s inbox as he sifted through new material, as he told Newsweek.

“You have to go through these videos like the Zapruder film because you’re worried that there’s going to be something in the background, there’s going to be something hidden like a Highlights Magazine that we should not focus on,” Buck said, “but it’s still there and it becomes some internet thing where I put my voice to something that I shouldn’t have.”

While Buck did not say it dissuaded him from continuing the fun project, it’s created a certain level of attentiveness he wasn’t expecting to need for the harmless idea. Don’t count Buck out from one day doing a play by play call of such a video, however. For now, it’s baseball and football, but who knows what could come next.

“Maybe later in life, but not now,” Buck said. “I look at these videos very carefully and pick the ones that seem the most wholesome to put my voice to.”

Chief among the many things that happened in early March in the NBA that now feel like a lifetime ago was the Brooklyn Nets parting ways with head coach Kenny Atkinson. General manager Sean Marks expanded upon that decision and what comes next — along with many other issues — in a conference call on Wednesday with local media.

Despite the uncertainty around the resumption of the NBA season during the coronavirus pandemic, the Nets have not moved forward with their coaching search, Marks said, out of respect to interim coach Jacque Vaughn. Previously, Marks said he would wait until the end of the year to begin that process, and it appears he is sticking to that timeline. Brooklyn would be in line to make the playoffs if they happen.

More pressingly, Marks admitted he will seek out the opinions of superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant during the hiring process, which Marks said has always been how he does business.

“I think that’s the approach we’ve taken with everything,” Marks said. “From four years ago, whether it was free agency or even in the draft, we had our own players come and watch draft workouts. I love getting their opinions, I love seeing what they see.”

Marks praised what he called a “collaborative approach” across the organization, but it’s worth mentioning that Irving’s connection with former Cleveland head coach Ty Lue was the center of much intrigue when Brooklyn originally moved on from Atkinson.

It’s been nearly 24 years since the death of iconic West Coast rapper Tupac. While his memory lives on through his music, and several conspiracy theories surrounding his death, memorabilia belonging to the late rapper can often be found floating around the internet. Those who wish to purchase an item formerly owned by the rapper are in for good news: two bandanas and other memorabilia from the rapper are being sold in an online auction.

Thirteen items belonging to Tupac are being auctioned off by Gotta Have Rock and Roll. One red and one blue bandana are being sold starting at $1,000. Other articles for up for auction include one of his diamond nose studs, a handwritten letter to his girlfriend from prison in 1995, a signed and inscribed polaroid, an original press release from Death Row Records, a hotel bill, two handwritten lyric pages, and much more.

Ahead of the auction, another item formerly belonging to the iconic rapper was sold for a record-breaking amount. Tupac’s old prison ID card sold for a hefty $30,000 to an unidentified collector who wishes to remain anonymous. Garry Shrum, Director of Music Memorabilia at Heritage Auctions explained the reason for the large price tag: “Tupac and his music are just as relevant today as they were more than 20 years ago. Fans haven’t forgotten his impact on hip-hop. They will go to any lengths to own a piece of Shakur’s life and times.”

Find more information on Tupac’s items being sold here.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

On “Roof,” the ninth song from her new album Before Love Came To Kill Us, Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez sums up her career evolution and her current position in one succinct line. “I could drive a Benz, but I’m still in my old-ass Honda,” she smirks. “Cocky’s in a coma, but I got my commas.”

That’s the album in a nutshell: Reyez has grown up but she’s also held her center. Her growth is as evident as her powerful sense of self-assured identity. It’s an identity she worked to establish on her developmental EPs, Kiddo and Being Human In Public, and it emerges fully formed on Before Love Came To Kill Us.

Possessed with an off-kilter voice and a wicked sense of humor, Reyez litters her lyrics with sly pop-culture references and emotional gut-punches, a legacy of her come-up alongside rappers like King Louie and multiple collaborations with Eminem. But she also knows her way around a straight-up pop bop, giving Before Love an impressive array of tools with which to work.

From singing in Spanish on “La Memoria” (Reyez is Colombian-Canadian and lived in Florida, busking on the beach before moving back to Toronto and pursuing music full-time) to referencing Goodfellas on the album’s intro “Do You Love Her,” Jessie utilizes every tool at her disposal to demonstrate her growth as an artist. While she does so, though, she doesn’t get lost in the eclecticism of the project, using the diverse styles to display different facets of her own strong personality.

The centeredness allows her to remain the focus, even when guest stars 6lack and Eminem contribute verses. Her duet with the former on “Imported” allows her to flex her hip-hop songwriting chops alongside one of the genre’s most solid dual-talent artists, while on “Coffin,” Jessie’s half of the song is miles better than Em’s out-of-place, off-key crooning. Through each track, Reyez’s voice slides between more alien pop and cool, velvet R&B, further demonstrating her versatility.

That versatility is doubly highlighted by the variety in the production. The uptempo “Dope” is a dance-pop party starter, offsetting the ballad-laden back-end of the album, which gives Reyez the chance to explore infatuation (on the pulsating “I Do”), heartbreak (the sweeping “Love In The Dark”), and a friends-with-benefits situation turned sour (the aggressive “Kill Us,” which lends the album its title). Reyez sings with charm and panache, modulating her unusual voice to suit the needs of each track, from moody and dark to carefree and tongue-in-cheek.

With that level of self-assuredness and nerve, Reyez is able to navigate seemingly disparate soundscapes and experiment to her heart’s content, secure in the knowledge that she won’t be swallowed up by an overwhelming new sound or stumble over an unfamiliar one. Before Love Came To Kill Us is a rock-solid statement of self-determination that shows flashes of promise that Reyez will be able to adapt to whatever sounds become the vogue, but also remain distinctive, with a sound all her own. The Canadian songwriter comes into her own as an artist, proving she can ride the wave and still sound like herself.

Before Love Came To Kill Us is out now via FMLY and Island. Get it here.

Bazzi and his girlfriend, Australian model Renee Herbert, are celebrating their two-year anniversary. Now the singer has commemorated the occasion with a new song, the appropriately titled “Renee’s Song.” Bazzi begins the brief, gentle, and guitar-led track with romantic lyrics: “There’s a song I like to sing / It says your name, I love the ring / So come here, so come here / I may be broken by my past / But I know my worst days, they won’t last.”

Sharing the song on social media, Bazzi wrote, “dear renee, i wrote a song for you – through everything weve been through, i hope this makes you feel special. happy two year baby X.” He followed that up today with another tweet, writing, “my love – you’ve stood by my side through everything for two years. i wrote this for you & i hope you feel like the only girl in the world today…” In December, Herbert celebrated the anniversary of meeting Bazzi, writing on Instagram, “2 years ago today I met you. There’s no one in the world like you, you fill my life with so much love and happiness. Love u bestfriend.”

Meanwhile, Bazzi recently offered an update on how his self-quarantine is going, writing earlier this month, “it’s going good. still adjusting to staying inside all day and the anxiety that comes with that lol but just rekindled my love for the office so i’m watching it for the 4th time.”

Listen to “Renee’s Song” above.

Bazzi is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

March Madness getting canceled due to COVID-19 had a number of really unfortunate side effects. Perhaps the most unfortunate of them all is that seniors will not get the opportunity to have one final shining moment, and the opportunity to potentially cement their place in NCAA Tournament lore is no longer on the table.

As a result, we here at Dime wanted to take a moment to shout out two of college basketball’s most outstanding senior guards and compare them to two legends of the game. Today’s Dime Breakdown spotlights Markus Howard of Marquette and Cassius Winston of Michigan State, both of whom had the potential to put their teams on their backs and lead them deep into the Tournament.

Howard’s game reminds us a bit of Jimmer Fredette — a high-scoring guard from a smaller school who is in range to rise and fire from the moment he steps over half-court. Winston, meanwhile, has just enough Kemba Walker in his game that the Spartans always seemed like they had an advantage going into any matchup, if only because there was no way the other squad would have a gamer capable of rising to the occasion like their star floor general.

There will be other NCAA Tournaments, and there will be more opportunities for players to go from really good college basketball players to all-time greats. That, sadly, won’t happen this year, but if it did, we’re confident that Howard and Winston would have made their way into that rarified air. But if there is any solace they can take, we have a hunch that by the time future NCAA hoopers join the Jimmers and the Kembas, Howard and Winston will be getting the job done at the next level.

“We’re just in pure survival mode,” says longtime friend of UPROXX, Jason Quinn — chef and founder of Playground DTSA in Santa Ana, CA. “We don’t want to fire or furlough people so we’re just… we’re making it happen however we can.”

Those words embody the painful truth facing our nation. No one is having an easy go of it right now. We’re all just muddling through. Especially people in the service industry. Grocery store employees, gig economy workers, food servers, chefs — they’re risking their health every day to keep a sliver of our society functioning while doctors on the frontline grapple with COVID-19.

In many cases, economic survival depends on staying operational. For Quinn and many small business owners like him, remaining open in some form is the only way to keep employees afloat.

“We were a day from shuttering,” Quinn continues. “But my staff has to eat and our guests have to eat. In the end, closing felt like the easy way out; trying to unlock how to stay open, that felt like the impossible challenge.”

On March 13th, Playground DTSA was assessing the severity of the outbreak in real-time and upping their sanitization practices, as well as relaxing their hours. By March 16th, faced with a state-wide stay-at-home directive, Quinn started going live on Instagram daily — asking his customer-base for feedback about how best to serve them. A few days later, he was floating to-go and delivery models, and selling wagyu beef and fresh fish to home cooks.

Almost immediately, Playground had to temporarily suspend protein sales because the response was so rabid. That facet is back up and running now — with steak, pork, and fish available through a new webstore. The restaurant has also launched take home ramen kits.

Quinn isn’t the only chef throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks. Head chef and founder of Los Angeles’ Guerrilla Tacos, Wesley Avila, has put together what he’s calling an Emergency Taco Kit — which includes five pounds of roasted chicken and carne asada, a quart of red and green salsa, tortillas, onion, cilantro, rice, beans, 30 eggs, and probably the most coveted of all goods: four rolls of toilet paper.

But for every ripple of success, there’s a tsunami of restaurants collapsing altogether or having to furlough their whole teams. According to the Los Angeles Times, Bon Temps, a popular LA Art’s District restaurant headed by Chef Lincoln Carson, closed its doors indefinitely on the evening of March 16th — just a few days into trying to make it as a take-out only establishment. Los Feliz eatery Kismet also closed after its take-out service and take-home broth and labneh didn’t pull in enough funds to cover expenses. Another Kind Cafe in Laguna Beach, which was featured in a previous UPROXX piece as an example of a restaurant succeeding with takeout business during the quarantine, has since halted operations indefinitely. And famed chef Danny Myer’s hospitality group laid off 2,000 employees just a few days into the shutdown.

Deborah VanTrece, the executive chef of Atlanta Georgia’s Twisted Soul, broke down some of the real-world struggles restaurants are facing to Bon Appétit, “Our insurance is doing nothing. Our landlords have offered no rent abatement, even though most of the retailers in this complex have been forced to close completely. And that stimulus package sounds cute on paper, but in real-time it don’t mean shit.”

The restaurant industry is used to adapting to the changing tastes of the dining public, but there isn’t a single independent restaurant on earth equipped to survive a global pandemic without sustaining major losses. The business model just isn’t built for it. The margins are far too thin and the costs never really stop.

Right now, living to fight another day is the name of the game. For some chefs that means crowdfunding for their teams. For others, it means “pay what you can” menus. For Quinn, it means going back on his famous policy of making absolutely no tweaks or adjustments to his dishes.

“We spent eight years only doing things our way,” he says. “If you had asked me what it would take to have me change that, I would have said ‘the end of the world.’ Well, here you go. Now someone calls and our staff says, ‘No peanuts? Steak well done? We got you!’ For us, that’s a huge change in operations, but we have to monetize any phone call that comes our way. My staff needs to eat. So whether you want dry-aged beef or rolls of paper towels, it’s all about ‘what can we do for you?’!”

ESPN’s quest to fill broadcast times typically reserved for live sports has led them down a few different paths. One is playing to nostalgia in the form of past sporting events and even WrestleManias, as well as playing classic Disney sports movies. Another is pushing up the highly anticipated The Last Dance documentary, which features 10 hours of interviews and never before seen footage of the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls.

Finally, they’re diving into the world of eSports a bit more, most notably with an NBA 2K20 tournament featuring 16 NBA players playing 1-on-1 games against each other. That tournament tips off on Friday night (April 3), with Kevin Durant and Trae Young as the top seeds on opposite sides of the bracket.

Offshore bookmakers have released odds on the tournament, and while Durant and Young are the top seeds, they are not at the top of the odds sheet right no. Sportsbetting.ag and Bookmaker.eu both have released odds and, as of writing at 3 p.m. ET, their odds vary wildly. At Bookmaker, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton are co-favorites at +450, followed by Donovan Mitchell (+847) and Durant (+850). At Sportsbetting, Booker is a +350 favorite followed by Durant at +400, Ayton at +650, and Young at +800.

All of this is to say, if you’re planning on betting on this 2K tournament, shop your odds because they vary wildly from book to book. The one point I will make is that, given how The Action Network’s 1-on-1 tournament has played out on 2K, the big men have an advantage if they use their size correctly. Full odds from both sites can be found below.

Devin Booker +350 (SB)/+450 (BM)
Kevin Durant +400 (SB)/+850 (BM)
Deandre Ayton +650 (SB)/+450 (BM)
Trae Young +800 (SB)/+1500 (BM)
Donovan Mitchell +900 (SB)/+847 (BM)
Hassan Whiteside +1000 (SB)/+1300 (BM)
Rui Hachimura +1200 (SB)/+1100 (BM)
Andre Drummond +1600 (SB)/+1548 (BM)
Pat Beverley +1600 (SB)/+1337 (BM)
DeMarcus Cousins +1800 (SB)/+1023 (BM)
Zach LaVine +1800 (SB)/+1100 (BM)
Harrison Barnes +2000 (SB)/+1200 (BM)
Michael Porter Jr. +2000 (SB)/+1548 (BM)
Montrezl Harrell +2000 (SB)/+1337 (BM)
Derrick Jones Jr. +2200 (SB)/+1200 (BM)
Domantas Sabonis +2250 (SB)/+2084 (BM)